


I Know You From Once Upon a Dream

by WanderlustandFreedom



Series: Descendants Short Stories and One Shots [13]
Category: Descendants (Disney Movies)
Genre: Anger, Beaches, Birthday, Cheating, Child shaming, Couch Cuddles, Crossdressing, Dancing, Dating, Domestic Bliss, Domestic Fluff, Dreams vs. Reality, Driving, F/M, False Accusations, Fashion & Couture, Fast Food, First Meetings, Forehead Kisses, Hair, Hiking, Ice Cream, Ice Cream Parlors, Ice Skating, Iceskatsicle., Jealousy, John Green Poetry, Late Night Conversations, Late at Night, Libraries, Makeup, Married Couple, Married Life, Morning Kisses, Nail Polish, News Media, Not Cheating, Painting, Poetry, Prom, Promises, Prophetic Visions, Rings, Roses, Rumors, Sharing a Bed, Swimming, Tickling, Visions in dreams, Water
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-02-01
Updated: 2020-02-01
Packaged: 2021-02-27 04:54:11
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 12,955
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22391344
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/WanderlustandFreedom/pseuds/WanderlustandFreedom
Summary: The biggest problem in Audrey's perfect relationship with Ben is the sporadic dreams that plague her of Ben living happily... with someone who isn't her. She's not used to being jealous and she's never felt so... overlooked. Her only consolation is that when she wakes up, everything is over and nothing is real. Ben is with her, life is perfect, and this Mal person doesn't exist.
Relationships: Ben/Audrey Rose (Disney: Descendants), Ben/Mal (Disney: Descendants)
Series: Descendants Short Stories and One Shots [13]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1593727
Comments: 9
Kudos: 88





	1. Purple

**Author's Note:**

> I know you, I walked with you once upon a dream. I know you, that gleam in your eye is so familiar a gleam.

In her dreams was a large apartment. The sort of thing that existed for families inside of large castles, with all the necessities to function in one small area. It was cozy. There was a kitchenette attached to a living room. A wicker basket filled with nice blankets. Lots of paintings on the walls. An electric fireplace with beautiful tile surrounding it.

Audrey wandered through the halls, peering first into a home office that was so neat she didn't see how it could have ever been used before and then into a bathroom. Dozens of hair and bath products – mostly for men – were set in metal hangers on the wall. She kept going and peeked into a bedroom.

She glanced over the comfortable suite and, upon realizing two people were fast asleep in their bed together, quickly turned to leave. She couldn't. She had no control over what she was viewing. It was as if she were watching a screen she couldn't look away from. She watched one of them – a man, judging by his hand – run his fingertips over the covers.

Her vision panned up until she was looking down on her boyfriend, Ben, who was shifting a little as he opened his eyes. The girl beside him was not her.

How dare he? She stared, dumbfounded. Then, she realized she couldn't look away. She couldn't even close her eyes.

Ben blinked a few times and then peered at the slumbering girl next to him. Audrey wasn't sure what she expected. She realized that this was probably just a funky dream, she had imagined that Ben, being the man of her dreams, would remain faithful even in her dreams. No matter the reality of the realm. Maybe he would jump up and demand who the other person was? Maybe he would ask where Audrey was?

He didn't do either of those things. Instead, he leaned up and traced his fingertips down the other person's cheek before he leaned over and kissed it. She stirred. He continued peppering her face with kisses and gently caressing her jaw and face until a smile crossed the girl's mouth and she opened an eye to peek at him. "Who are you?" She teased. "What do you think you're doing?"

Ben chuckled. "Good morning," he whispered with his mouth close against her forehead as he began to comb his fingers through her hair. "It's time to get up."

"Up?" The other girl moaned, snuggling deeper into her pillow. "Why? You don't want to get up and neither do I. Let's just stay here."

Ben laughed and wrapped his arms around her before burying his nose into her shoulder. "Come on," he whispered. "We both have meetings."

"Says the man still trying to fall asleep on me." The girl released her pillow and rolled over to wrap her arms around his neck. Audrey felt like screaming, but she was disembodied and unable to do anything. As the girl wrapped her left arm around Audrey's boyfriend's neck and started running her fingers through the hair at the nape of his neck, Audrey saw something sparkle and was momentarily blinded by the glint and an intense fit of rage.

This wasn't a dream – it was a nightmare.

"Hmm," Ben replied wordlessly. He kissed her jaw and then somehow managed to tangle his fingers in hers while her fingers were still messing up in his hair. Then, he raised their clasped hands together and turned their fingers around to watch the ring on her hand sparkle in the early morning light coming through the window. The girl laughed and let him play with her hand. Smiles were frozen on their faces.

The girl, Audrey decided to notice now, in favor of watching their infectious show, was an unreal mix of attributes Audrey didn't think could exist together on one person. She was much smaller and shorter than Audrey, with pale skin like she'd grown up in a cave. Vivid green eyes that caught the light in ways eyes were not supposed to and a thin mouth that was pink even without lipstick. And, most unbelievably, long purple hair that was spread out over the pillow behind her. The impossible standards did nothing to ease Audrey's jealousy. Why did her dreams have to conjure up someone so fake and yet flawless? Someone so unlike her?

Ben finally released the other girl's hand and climbed out of bed. "Come on," he called, heading into the attached bathroom.

The girl whined and buried her head underneath her pillow. "Goodnight!" She called.

"Mal!" Ben called, still in a teasing tone as he re-emerged from the bathroom, still in his pajamas. He pulled all the covers off her and then took hold of her foot and pulled her towards him. Mal yelped and tried to grab hold of the headboard before he could pull her away, but found herself being pulled off the bed nonetheless. Ben snatched her hand as soon as it was close enough and pulled her to a sitting position.

"Ben…" Mal began to whine, but he caught her jaw again and kissed her to cut her off.

'Wake up', Audrey told herself. 'Wake up right now.'

Mal sighed against Ben's mouth and then slowly got to her feet. "Okay," she sighed, putting her arms around his neck briefly. She leaned in to kiss him again but dodged his mouth so she could plant her lips on his neck. The filthy, slimy little wrench.

Audrey was too blinded by her rage to even notice as Ben and Mal disappeared into the bathroom together before re-emerging fully-dressed. Ben was still wearing button-downs and shined shoes, but Mal wore a t-shirt with rips around it. Audrey could see both skin and parts of a black undershirt that made her blood boil when she saw the way Ben's eyes clung to Mal's sides.

Ben put his watch on. It usually sat on the bedside table while he slept. Audrey knew that much from late-night and early-morning visits. He read the time quickly and then glanced over at Mal. "We have about an hour and a half," he told her.

"Why did you make us get up, then?" Mal demanded, picking a purple phone off the nightstand and putting it in her pocket. She then began tossing pillows from the bed onto the floor.

"Because I wanted to spend time with you at breakfast," Ben responded, picking up his phone and then starting some music before joining her in her endeavor to rid the mattress of all its accessories. Mal scoffed but didn't respond as they both yanked up the first sheet and then pulled it tight over the bed.

They were domestic. How cute.

Audrey wished she could throw up.

Mal procured a bottle of something brown from her nightstand and began to spray down the sheets. "I don't know why you like this stuff," she wrinkled her nose at the smell, which Audrey quickly realized was vanilla. "It all wears off after the first little bit."

"I like vanilla," Ben replied, reaching across the bed to take the bottle from her. "It smells nice."

Please let her wake up now. Please let her wake up now.

Mal snorted. "Whatever makes you happy, Ben."

"You," Ben replied without a moment of hesitation. Mal's face flushed. A pink color crept into her cheeks as she rolled her eyes and then helped Ben pull up the rest of the covers.

"You make me happy too," she promised as she began picking pillows up and replacing them in their proper positions. Ben gave her a goofy grin.

It was such a simple scene. Such a simple task. Something sweet and trivial and something she'd imagined herself doing with Ben oh-so-many times.

It made her blood boil to imagine this other… tart experiencing it with him.

* * *

Let me get this straight," Ben snorted, swinging their hands together as they walked down a road not too far from Auroria's castle. "You're angry at me for something that I did in a dream?"

Audrey pulled her hand back and crossed her arms as she looked away and sulked. Ben began to laugh. Earnest, loud, and clear. He paused on the side of the road and Audrey stomped her foot against the ground. "It's not funny!" She whined.

"You're being silly," Ben rolled his eyes. "You don't have to get jealous of someone who doesn't exist."

"I know…" Audrey whined. She didn't protest when Ben reached for her hand again and then they took a detour onto a trail together. It was something they often did – go hiking through the Auroria woods together. She was wearing grey shorts and a pink shirt while he wore blue jeans and a yellow shirt. Ben had never been a big fan of shorts. Waterbottles were tucked into their backpacks and snacks for later were stowed away. Audrey had her phone in her pocket and Ben had his in his backpack. She wanted to take photos. He wanted to pretend he was far enough away no one could contact him.

"So, you were wandering through a house," Ben began, and Audrey's mood immediately soured. "You walked into a bedroom and I was lying down with someone else and that's when you flipped out?"

"No, I couldn't do anything," Audrey huffed. "And then you both got up and you were talking and laughing and touching-" She shuddered. "Oh, it made me so mad!"

"You know it's not real, right?" Ben gave her an easy, soft smile that made her heart forget it was angry. "I'm here, not there. There's no one else right now. I'm your boyfriend."

They heard the crashing of water up ahead and rounded a bend to reveal a little pond with several different tiny waterfalls rippling down a creek. Audrey hummed as she took a seat on a little wooden bench and then withdrew her water bottle from her backpack. "I know," she mumbled and took a long drink. "I just… feel a little insecure, is all."

"Insecure?" Ben burst into laughter again. "You? Audrey Rose? Insecure?"

Audrey grumbled and yanked back on her zipper as if to punish the poor article for her boyfriend's teasing. Ben dropped his arm around her shoulders and kissed her cheek. She leaned into his side a little and focused on the waterfall bubbling over the rocks in the creek.

"I know it's silly," she muttered in his ear. "I guess I just feel like… you could have anyone you wanted and just… anyone would be happy with you. You're just that person."

"Thank you," Ben laughed. "But that's not a reason to be insecure. I pick you, Audrey. It's you and I. Don't forget that."

* * *

Mal kicked her legs back and forth as she sat splayed across the couch in Belle's library with her knees over the armrest. She turned a page in the book she was reading – which was on artists – and Audrey fumed. Of course, the girl would like art. It was something she admired too. Her dreams had to give this girl similar attributes so that Audrey could continue feeling insignificant and overlooked and…

Ben appeared, dropping his suit coat on the back of an armchair, and then sitting down on the opposite side of the couch where Mal's feet were kicking back and forth lazily. Mal yelped as the cushions shifted towards him. He grabbed her wrists and pulled her forward until her head had dropped onto his lap and then pushed his fingertips through her purple hair.

"Hard meeting?" She asked as he leaned down to press their foreheads together. She carefully laid the book out on her lap so she could reach up and pet her hands through his hair.

"Not really," Ben hummed, taking a deep breath of her scent. "I'm just happy to see you."

"I see that," Mal chuckled, kissing his cheek before he leaned back up and grabbed her book. "What are you reading?" He asked.

"Mine!" Mal whined, taking it back and sitting up. She leaned past him to the table and snatched a smaller book with white lettering. "Here's yours," she grumbled, shoving it into his grasp. She laid back down on his lap as he laughed and thumbed to a page in the book. His hand found it's way back down to be tangled in her locks.

Audrey expected Mal to just go back to her reading, but the purple-haired princess shut her book and closed her eyes as Ben's fingertips massaged her scalp. And Ben started reading aloud, almost as if they had arranged for this. As if it had happened before.

"Set fire to all your maps," Ben murmured, combing her hair back over his legs as she kept quiet with her head falling in between his legs. "forget how it's always been. We're explorers of the heart, learning to dream again. The adventure of a lifetime, with Love alone as our guide. Exotic places beyond imagination – ones we've longed for deep inside."

"You always pick the romantic ones when you read," Mal told him, reaching up to run her fingers down his chin. "You don't have to filter things just because I'm here."

Ben just gave her a goofy grin and set the book down. He kept reciting, even though he wasn't looking at the pages anymore. "Eyes are the soul's windows, I know this to be true – for when I gaze into yours, it's such a beautiful view."

Mal laughed as he kissed her cheek, then her jaw, creeping down closer to her neck. His mouth hovered over the fluttering pulse in her neck. And she only laughed before Audrey felt her vision begin to dim.

She sprang up, breathing heavily, in her bed at home. Utterly filled with hate towards all books and every memory she had of Ben ever reading anything aloud ever.

* * *

"So, we're now avoiding the library," Ben snorted as a way to start a conversation. He finished plugging in the old television set and then began sorting through his phone to find pictures and videos to look through. Audrey huffed as she set down hot chocolate, popcorn, and a bunch of assorted fruit in bowls.

"Not really – well – I'm just frustrated right now, okay?" She sat down and pulled a blanket over her legs. "I'm sorry. I swear I'll get over it soon."

Ben rolled his eyes and sighed. He then sat back as his phone started a montage of memories. They were doing a home movie thing for a date night. Audrey would have preferred to go out somewhere and do something, but Ben was a huge fan of these 'at-home, low-key, personal' dates. Some of the ideas were cute, but others Audrey had a hard time trying to keep from spitting out the words 'tacky' and 'cheap' at.

There were just some things she had to sacrifice, she supposed, and her political pride during personal events was one of them.

Ben laid his chin on her shoulder and began to candidly explain things about the various old pictures. Many of these early ones were from his middle school years. She saw many of their old friends, such as Chad Charming or Herkie, hanging out in classrooms and at people's houses together. She wasn't in many of them as she and Ben had gone to different schools. His mother also made many appearances as photos of them at professional events making funny faces flashed across the screen.

"That photo was from some art gala," Ben mumbled as a photo of him, two feet shorter than his dad and in a white suit, appeared. "I was having an obsession with white everything. I even painted my nails white. See?"

"Who told you that was a good idea?" Audrey made a face. "You look blinding."

Ben laughed and nodded. "I liked the nail polish," he shrugged, holding up one hand as if he could still see it on him. "Maybe I'd look good with navy blue now."

"Please do us all a favor and don't try it," Audrey stuck out her tongue. "I'm sorry, Benny-boo, but nail polish just doesn't belong on guys." She traced her own long acrylic nails down his cheek and Ben snapped at them playfully.

"I don't think it matters," he said. "Just so long as I don't try and wear white again. Oh! I had a sky-blue suit too that my mother hated. Maybe we'll see it up here."

"Sky blue?" Audrey made a face as if she were barfing. "I'm glad to see your style has gotten better." Then, she paused. "Well, at least with your suits."

"Hey, my socks are amazing!" Ben snapped back playfully. Audrey began to laugh. He knew exactly what she'd been poking at. He kicked a foot up and out from under the blanket to show her his current adornments. They were toe socks whose fronts had been decorated to look like he was wearing a suit on his feet. Little buttons and a red tie and everything. Audrey groaned.

"Come on," he coaxed. "They're great. Admit it."

"You are such a dork," she snickered.

"A dork?" Ben faked outrage and poked her side. Audrey flinched and yelped and a wicked smile spread across Ben's face. "You take that back!" He demanded, digging his fingers even firmer into her sides. Audrey writhed and began to laugh.

"No!" She screeched, trying to arc away from him. Don't you dare – stop it!"

"Take it back!" Ben demanded, grabbing her arms and pinning her so he could dance his fingers up and down her sides. Audrey howled and squirmed.

"Oh," Ben paused when the screen changed and shook his head. "There's the suit. Talk about awful middle-school memories."

Audrey looked up and almost passed out when she saw Ben in a suit so vividly blue that she didn't even recognize him for a few seconds. "Oh god," she groaned. "I think I might throw up."

"Oh, come on, that was my favorite suit," Ben laughed even though it was clear he, too, regretted the look.

He helped her back up and they curled into each other again, watching as the screen began to display more recent things, with some of Audrey's fashion faux pas appearing before it was over. Audrey had to hold back groans every time she saw herself. Goodness, why had she ever thought that was a good idea?

"I like this," Ben whispered into her hair when he reached for her phone to switch out with his. "I like doing this."

Audrey shrugged. "I still could have gone for dinner someplace," she admitted. "But this is nice. It's good to remember I'm not the only one with awful pre-teen memories."

* * *

"Stand still."

Audrey almost screamed when she heard the familiar, smooth-as-silk voice. Ben, on the other hand, laughed as he tried to hold a pose beside an open window. Mal was standing in front of a very tall canvas, sketching a very quick outline of him while he gazed out over the palace grounds. She worked fast and her hands made quick work of his body before she sighed and nodded, and he stepped away to stand behind her and watch as she worked.

"Is my head really that large?" he asked as she penciled in the outline of the mirror and then took a palette which had hung on the wall. They were in an art room, with paint-splashed countertops and open drawers of art supplies as Mal stood in the center behind an easel.

"It only seems that way because there's no shading," she assured him, stepping away towards where Audrey could see various types of paint in a box. As she shuffled through, collecting browns and greys and blues, Ben stepped up and flicked his eyes from the window to the canvas.

"It looks good," he complimented her. "Why are you painting me again?"

"Because the national art foundation asked if I could donate and you're my favorite model," Mal teased, leaning towards him as she balanced her palette. Her wedding band sparkled on her hand. Audrey would have grit her teeth if she could.

"Is this oil or acrylic?" Ben asked as she opened a canister. Ben leaned forward to examine it and then leaped back with his eyes watering. "Oil," he coughed.

Mal nodded. "Yup," she affirmed, smiling at him as she took his place in front of the canvas. "You know, if I wanted, I could give you a funny hair color." She took a grey, added some brown in, and began to paint the walls in her picture with thoughtful, textured strokes.

"Make me purple," Ben nodded in agreement, taking a chair that had been set aside for him and sitting down with his legs splayed. "Everyone will start spreading rumors that you want to have a son and we can laugh while they all freak out."

"Or it could be an allegory for how I wish you were?" Mal suggested, mixing a lighter shade of the tan for the walls next to the window. Audrey was sure no one could paint so accurately on the first try in real life and was rather annoyed at her imagination for making her believe it could be so.

"But those rumors are going around constantly," Ben protested, though hints of annoyance had crept into his voice and were now betraying his real feelings. "Rumors that you're pregnant only start every-"

"Other hour."

"-six months or so." Ben raised an unimpressed eyebrow at Mal and leaned back with his back hitting the wall.

Mal hummed, drawing a dark streak for the shadows Ben had cast on the wall and then spared him a surreptitious glance as he fell silent, watching her work. "I'm… happy the way we are now," she told him.

Ben nodded. "Me too," he agreed. And that seemed to be the end of it. Mal was smiling as she turned back to work on her painting. She couldn't see it, but Ben was smiling and rolling his eyes too.


	2. Pink

"Go slow."

"I'm going to fall and break my neck!"

"No, you won't. You just have to learn to glide, not walk."

Audrey watched, unimpressed, as Ben stepped out onto the ice and began to skate in a small circle to demonstrate to her what to do. Audrey pouted. Most kids in Auradon hung out with their parents in the great outdoors and therefore learned activities such as skiing, snowboarding, climbing, and skating. However, Audrey had been raised in sunnyside Auroria and hated getting cold. Therefore, while most of her friends could skate, she could not.

Nor did she want to.

She took a tentative step forward in her skate. "Just like walking in heels," she thought. "Just stay on your toes and-"

She took a step onto the ice and very nearly slid into the splits.

Splits. As in gymnastics. As in something she could do with ease. None of this foolish sliding around without warmth or friction.

If only spring could come instantaneously and melt this entire frigid landscape so she and Ben could go swimming instead. Audrey traced her boyfriend's frame as he skidded to a stop and looked at her expectantly, trying to imagine him shirtless even as he was waiting for her. Her cheeks grew red.

"Can you get out?" Ben asked.

"No," Audrey snapped, withdrawing a few steps. "Ugh. Why do you like this? It's so… cold!"

Ben sighed and rolled his eyes good-naturedly and then skated over to offer her his hands. "Just get on the ice," he directed, "don't lock up your knees and push off one of your feet at a time."

"But then they get too far apart!" Audrey whined.

"You don't keep pushing off. Just little pushes. You know what, come on, I'll hold onto you for the first little bit. Come on, Audrey." Ben opened and closed his hand to further urge her to take it.

Audrey finally clasped his fingers, growling a little at the scratch of gloves. She took a few steps forward and then Ben began skating backward. She balked at him. "How are you doing that?" she demanded.

Ben shrugged. "My dad did it once and then I had to learn so I could race him," he explained. "It's not that hard. Like riding a bike."

"I'd rather do that," Audrey grumbled. "Is there a bike I could ride on the ice? At least so I don't have to worry about falling?"

Ben shook his head. "No. I know some places have kid-helps you can use that you push, but you still have to use your legs."

"What if the blade went all the way around the wheel?" Audrey asked. "I feel like that would work. It's the same technology as the bike."

"Except for the propulsion," Ben shook his head. "Ice Skates glide. A bike like that would grind. Pedaling would be impossible without any friction for the wheels to catch onto."

Audrey sighed. "That's what I get for dating the son of Belle, I suppose," she grumbled. Ben laughed. He let go of her hands then and she waved them around frantically to get her balance. "Ben!" She squawked.

"Just glide," Ben nodded at her feet, then began pushing off of his own to increase the distance between them. "Come on! Try to keep up!"

"Oh no!" Audrey yelped, trying and failing to get to an upright position. "Don't leave! Prince Benjamin Flor-" she slipped and crashed face-first into the ice. She heard Ben rush over and grab her hands.

"Audrey?" he asked, trying to help her up. "Are you alright? Oh… dear." He stopped, staring at her, and sighed.

Audrey fumed. Blood was dripping down her nose and she was pretty sure she was going to have a shiner of an eye for a good little while. She shoved him back and began to crawl back towards the snowbanks. To her shame, Ben didn't even fall when she pushed him. He just started gliding backward.

"I'm done," Audrey decided, picking up a handful of snow to press to her nose. "I don't like cold. Take me home, please, Ben."

* * *

"Remind me again why we do this?" Mal asked, taking a seat in front of the mirror with a sigh. Ben rolled his eyes as he picked his brush up and began brushing her hair back from her face. He pulled open the second drawer for a claw clip to secure it back and then began pulling out tons and tons of different types of makeup.

"We could just not," Ben shrugged, glancing at her with a smirk. "I could let you do your makeup and you could just not care about the news sources afterward. I mean, it'd be just like when we first started dating, before you got sick of everyone saying things about how-"

"I got it," Mal cut him off, grumbling while he ducked his head to hide his smirk. She gazed at all the different products with a grumble and didn't comment much further than a groan when he handed her a rag and a face scrub and directed her to wash her face off.

Audrey had already known the other girl didn't wear much makeup. It hadn't occurred to her that it was because she didn't like it.

"What's that?" Mal snarled at a colorful bottle as Ben set it down. It looked like a kid's product and featured a dancing watermelon slice.

"Relax," Ben snorted the same way he did when Audrey did something he found amusing. "It's a detangler. So, I spray it in your hair-" he did, one long spritz down a lock that Mal flinched away from, "-and then I take the brush and – viola!" He held up a freshly-detangled lock of hair. Mal perked up.

"Wait, so it makes it so you don't have to take five years detangling my hair?" She asked, picking up the bottle and sneering at the watermelon.

"Exactly," Ben agreed.

"Why didn't you tell me about this back when we first got married?" Mal demanded. "Or better yet, when we first started dating?"

"Because Evie told me it existed last week and I had to go through my acceptance period to realize such a wonderful product existed," Ben explained, taking the bottle from her so he could spray down her hair. "Also because I had to have Chip run down to town for it."

Mal sighed in relief as Ben brushed through her hair without any trouble and finished scrubbing her face with the rag. Ben plugged in a set of hot rollers, which Mal also sneered at before he began picking his way through the makeup.

Audrey knew Ben liked makeup. She also knew he was good at it. But she never, in a million years, would have let Ben see her without makeup, much less help her do hers. This other girl shared none of the same qualms, and that only fueled Audrey's disdain for her. How dare she not share her reservations? How dare she be a better compliment for Ben than Audrey was?

Ben occasionally wore touch-up and contour makeup for events and he was sometimes invited to girls' sleepovers specifically so he could decorate them, but he was never really allowed to go crazy and do his own thing. It was always at someone else's command or, on him, had to be socially acceptable and fitting for the event. Audrey doubted Belle ever would have let her son try going out in public with lipstick and fake lashes. She'd never seen him like this – with his own personal non-protesting canvas who seemed content to let him put anything on her face so long as his hands lingered there.

Mal held still as Ben drew contour lines across her face, around her nose, and underneath her eyes. She grumbled and shifted as he twisted her hair up in the rollers. She flinched away briefly when he applied primer to her eyelids, but then melted into his palms when he cupped her cheek to blend a striking mix of black, green, and gold across her eyelids.

It was making her uncomfortable to watch.

"You don't need three different reds," Mal deadpanned when Ben withdrew blush brushes to drag across her cheekbones. "They all look the same once they're on anyway."

"I don't get to do this on me, so just hush," Ben implored. "And they don't look the same. This one has blue undertones and this one has yellow."

"Blue?" Mal repeated. "They're all reds!"

"You're an artist – shouldn't you know the difference in colors?"

"My knowledge only applies to noble forms of art."

Audrey watched, slightly impressed, as Ben flicked out the wings of Mal's eyeliner in a method that had taken her years to do. When he was satisfied, he handed her a mascara tube and then turned to sort through lipsticks. Mal sighed and leaned closer to the mirror, pinching her lips into a frown as she unscrewed the tube.

"I hate this stuff," She snapped when she was done with the first eye.

"I know," Ben replied simply. "But hey, you'll be the talk of the tabloids and I get to play with makeup. Win-win."

Mal only grumbled and tossed the tube back into the mix. Ben snorted and turned around with a vivid pink in his hand. On the back of his arm, he'd tested a few different shades to find the one he was looking for. Mal snorted when she saw the streaks. Audrey couldn't blame her. He looked ridiculous, in her opinion, but content.

Ben took her face with a soft touch and drew her in closer, almost with gaze alone. Mal's eyes landed on his lips as he dragged his thumb over her bottom lip to part the two and uncapped the lipstick with his other thumb.

"Hold still," he whispered in a tone she hadn't heard before. Just because it was new didn't mean she couldn't immediately place it, though. It was desire. It was want. It was him pretending he wasn't captivated by her and that he was still in control despite the fact he'd probably melt if Mal decided to kiss him. 

Mal blushed underneath her makeup. Ben dragged the tip of the stick around the perimeter of her mouth and then slowly filled it in, cradling her jaw all the while.

He kept hold of her face when finished until her cheeks flushed and she leaned forward into him. Then he withdrew with a laugh and started removing rollers from her hair.

When he finished, Audrey had to admit that she looked beautiful. Ben had clearly been working with her face shape and skin tones for a very, very long time. He knew what looked good on her.

Ben turned her back towards the mirror with a proud expression. "See?" He beamed. "You're going to blow everyone away tonight."

"All thanks to you," Mal hummed, closing her eyes and leaning back into him. Ben's smile only grew even brighter and more proud. "Ben, why don't you do this to yourself every once in a while? Let Auradon know that you like it and you think it's fun. It won't make you any less of a king to them."

Ben's smile faded and he shrugged. "I'm kinda content to just play with your appearance," he shrugged. "And all of this doesn't usually fit in well with suits."

"Wear a dress, then," Mal suggested, but at this, Ben's face twisted into one of clear disgust. He liked his suits, actually. "Or not. Well, you could always do a bit of blue eyeliner and get away with it. That's what Evie does when the kids get her too busy."

Ben shrugged. "Maybe," he agreed. "I remember I used to paint my nails as a pre-teen, but I stopped once I got to high school. Audrey once told me that she didn't think nail polish belonged on guys."

"Audrey is a traditional princess," Mal kissed his cheek, leaving a faint imprint that Ben immediately wiped away before catching her face to correct her lip coat with his nail. "You're not a traditional king. Everyone already knows that."

"That is true," Ben shrugged in acquiescence. "Maybe I'll try it sometime. We could do something to you too."

"I could get some horns?" Mal offered with a smirk that was just… evil spreading across her face.

Ben burst into laughter and then kissed the top of her curly hair. "God, you look beautiful," he whispered.

Mal turned and pressed her forehead against his shirt. "Only with you here," she replied.

* * *

Sometimes, dating Ben felt like dating a member of the citizenry. He didn't care to spend lots of money, preferred home dates, was very close to his parents and treated them as parents rather than overseers, and never mentioned his status or future to people when they went places. But other times(and these were the times Audrey loved)… this happened.

The doorbell rang. Audrey's father opened it with a smile. A white limo was in the drive with a golden crown ornament of the hood. Ben was standing on the doorstep, hair combed back and spicy cologne floating in the doorway, holding a dozen red roses in his arms. Audrey floated forward, pushing her bouncy ringlets behind her ear, and smiled her biggest, brightest smile.

"Happy Birthday!" Ben exclaimed from the doorstep. He presented the bouquet. "These are for you."

"Twelve?" Audrey asked, hands shaking as heat burned her cheeks. "You're being flirtatious,"

"Eleven plus one," Ben agreed with a smile, and Audrey's blush burned even deeper into her skin. He looked up at Audrey's father then as Audrey turned to where one of the servants had already procured a vase for her flowers. She pressed the thorn-less stems into the maid's hands and whispered a request to put them in the window of her room.

Ben and Audrey's father finished shaking hands, exchanging pleasantries, and affirming when he'd be required to drop her back off. Then he offered her his arm and she felt like she was floating as he guided her down her front steps to where he opened her door for her and a footman greeted her as 'Princess Audrey'.

"Where are we going?" Audrey asked, curling into his shoulder in the car.

"I booked your favorite place, down by Oceania," Ben replied, reaching for her hand and twisting their fingers together. Audrey's face felt like it would stretch too far and split.

He escorted her inside, dipping his head uncomfortably when servers bowed for them. They got a private room overlooking the ocean and with only one table in sight.

"Thank you for this," Audrey said after the first course. "You always know just what I like."

Ben just shrugged uncomfortably. "I'm glad you like it," he said and reached across the table for her hand. It wasn't easy – the table was a bit longer than his family table at home – but she met him halfway and tangled their fingers together. "I want you to be happy."

"You make me happy," Audrey told him.

Ben smiled a tight little smile. "I'm glad," he whispered.

She had to get a bunch of photos of them to post online about how amazing he was, of course. But she could tell when Ben's smile began to be a bit strained after the tenth set of photos and so she set her phone down to focus on him and try to give him the attention he deserved. He didn't like being photographed constantly. That was fine. She loved him anyway.

"It means a lot that you stopped and did this for me, Benny-bear," she hummed, taking a long sip from her fluted glass. "I know you prefer quiet stuff with not lots of things around, and I'm grateful that you're doing this for me even though I know you'd rather do something else."

The strain in Ben's smile vanished and he perked up a little. "Of course," he nodded, smiling at her as if she was the most priceless thing on the planet. "I'm glad it makes you happy."

Then, he cleared his throat and shrugged. "Besides, you have been going along with a lot of my stuff recently. This was kinda overdue."

It was, wasn't it?

They made it through dinner. The waiters and waitresses came over to serenade her with 'Happy Birthday'. Ben sang along and she didn't think it was possible to feel more special.

Then, walking out to the car, Ben glanced at the ocean and asked if she wanted to take a walk on the beach with him.

What? No.

With seaweed on the beach and then tiny sand particles that dried up your skin and clogged your pores and itched between her toes? Audrey would have to shower when she got home. And after she'd spent four hours on her curls!

"Um, I'd rather not," she winced and bit her lip when Ben's expression solemnized.

"That's okay," he agreed. "It's getting closer to your curfew anyways."

But Audrey saw him glance back towards the waves breaking onto the beach and sighed. She leaned down and yanked off her $450 Tamara Mellon glass shoes before tucking them into her purse and taking Ben's hand. "Come on," she decided. "Just a quick walk."

They walked hand-in-hand down towards the waves. Ben ended up holding his dress shoes and rolling his slacks up like they were blue jeans or something before he stepped into the surf and kicked the water back out to the ocean with a laugh. Audrey made a face as he bent down and picked up a red shell that had been peeping up through the sand.

"It's shaped like a heart!" He announced with glee. "Do you want it?"

Audrey blushed and was suddenly a little more glad that they had come down. She took the shell, rinsed it as best she could in the surf, and then stowed it away in her purse. "Thanks," she giggled.

Then, as they continued their walk down the surf, Audrey felt a sharp stab in her foot. "Ouch!" she yelped and grabbed her foot. Ben snatched her arm, narrowly helping her avoid falling into the surf.

"Woah!" He exclaimed. "Did you step on a shell?"

"Blasted, sneaky little things," Audrey frowned. Her foot was bleeding.

"Oh well," Ben laughed. Audrey's frown grew deeper. Why was he laughing? She had gotten hurt and this had been his idea.

Ben swept her off her feet and into his arms. "Look," he said, securing his arms around her legs, "It's okay. No harm is done. I'll just carry you back to the car."

This, Audrey decided, was the type of romance she'd been born for. Just her handsome Prince Charming and her.


	3. Blue

"Water polo!" Someone in her dream announced before the dream had even begun. Audrey made to clap her hands over her ears before the scene materialized and she almost groaned when she was able to make out Chad and Herkie pumping their fists while they dashed towards the pool in Chad's home, shirtless. There was some sort of loud house party going on. Dozens of boys and girls in swimsuits and loungewear were milling about as a bunch of grown men whooped and joined Chad in rushing for the pool. Audrey looked around for Ben, spotted him, and then walked over to ask if he was going to play before she spotted the head of vibrant hair beside him and hissed. Verbally. She blinked in surprise as people around her raised their eyebrows and looked at her.

Holy crap, she could move.

She could beat that little purple-haired predator into a pastel pulp.

As if her dreams were now anticipating her and wanted to keep her in check, Audrey now discovered that she couldn't move freely. Someone else was controlling her body.

And she'd been about ready to rip off her shoe and beat the witch with it.

She wandered over, still, in a group of other women as Ben made to leave with the other boys with a smile, paused, and then turned back to Mal. "Hey," she heard him whisper, "are you alright?"

Mal nodded, though she leaned forward and balled a fist up in his shirt like she was desperate for something steady to hold onto. "I'm fine," she assured him. Her voice was soft and terse.

"You're ready to go," Ben read her face and then cupped her cheek in his hands. "That's okay! We can go home now if you want."

Mal frowned and glanced over his shoulder. "But… Ben, they're playing polo. You love polo. You used to play it all the time in high school."

He did love polo. Audrey sniffed. He liked swimming as a whole and it was clear he'd been doing it too, judging from his wet hair swimsuit. He was wearing a swim shirt, which was unfortunate, but still looked delightsome.

Ben shook his head, though Audrey could see a bit of a wish behind his eyes. "I'll play another time," he whispered. "I want you to be happy, Mal. I know these things aren't your scene. And to be honest, I'd rather be with you. If you want, we can go home now and spend the rest of the evening locked up with a movie or in your studio…"

But Mal's face hardened and she brought on this smile and excitement that was so fake it was also cheap and plastic. "Actually, I'm going to go down to the bar and see if they can put some rum in a strawberry smoothie for me," she laughed. "And I still need to talk to Lonnie and ask how Jay is. Do you want me to bring you anything?"

"No, I'm not thirsty," Ben laughed, eyes trailing over her. "But… are you sure?"

"Yes, I'm sure," Mal bit out some broken laughter. "Go on! Go have fun!" She brushed off his shoulders and kissed his cheek. "You never get to hang out with your friends, Ben. The last time you hung out with anyone outside of a palace function or our family was months ago."

"I don't want to leave you alone," Ben frowned.

"I won't be alone," Mal shook her head. "I'm going to go find Lonnie. Okay?"

"Ben!" Chad shouted from the pool, raising an arm to signal him over. "You coming?"

"See?" Mal gave him a little shove. "They're waiting for you. I'll be back in a minute to cheer you on."

Ben exhaled and brushed his hair back. He raised a hand to Chad. "Yeah!" he called. "I'm coming!" Then, before Mal could walk away, he captured her hip and kissed her cheek. "Come get me if you want to go," he mumbled. Then, he pulled himself away from her side and went over to jump into the pool. Mal gave a little laugh and shielded herself from the water flying everywhere before she turned and wandered away.

She started to head to the bar. Audrey wanted to corner her, push her up against a wall and chew her out for having anything to do with Ben. She resisted, though, as someone else called for Mal. From a tiny cushioned area underneath a gazebo, Ally of Wonderland had a hand outstretched. Audrey watched Mal sigh before she begrudgingly changed paths. What a brat. She didn't even want to talk to anyone.

"There she is!" Jordan laughed as she leaned back into the cushions of an orange lounge chair. "So, her majesty finally steps down from the clouds to dwell with us common folk."

"Come! Sit!" Ruby exclaimed, gesturing to the middle seat in between Anxelin and Tiger Peony. "We were just talking about Chad and Gil. Who do you think looks better? Because I definitely think Chad's hair is much nicer than Gil's, but Gil's muscles are just-" She made a sigh and fell back into the cushions like she was melting.

Mal grimaced but then forced a smile like she was only minorly annoyed. "I think they're both airheads," she joked. "What are my other options?"

"Well, it's easy to have such high standards when you're with Ben," Audrey found herself saying with a bit of a teasing tone in her voice that made her head pound. Goodness, was her mind turning against her? She wanted to claw her hair out and gouge out her own eyes!

Mal chuckled weakly as all the girls exploded into moans and deep sighs. It was, Audrey thought, quite clear she wasn't wanting to share secrets of her husband with anyone there.

Ruby gestured again to the seat, but Mal made a gesture towards the inside to indicate she was going to move on. "I was, uh, actually going to go get a drink from the bar," she coughed.

Audrey wrinkled her nose. "But you're a lady," she reprimanded. "You shouldn't be drinking. Especially not at something like this. Who's going to get Ben home if he decides to drink with the boys afterward?"

"Ben doesn't usually-"

"Maybe he doesn't usually because you do usually."

Mal shut her mouth, frowning and looking like she wanted to argue but also didn't want to fight at the moment. "Here," Jordan snorted. "I can conjure some tamar hindi? It's super good. My dad and I drink it all the time." She snapped her fingers and some sort of red punch with some sort of nut garnish floating at the top of the drink appeared. Everyone leaned forward in excitement, even Audrey, and Ruby passed a mournful Mal a glass.

Good. The brat deserved to be disappointed.

"Okay, Mal," Ruby began, flipping through her phone notes. "Before you came over, we were talking about annoying habits our boyfriends all have. What are Ben's?"

"Ben's not my boyfriend," Mal began and Audrey felt fire explode inside her nostrils. "We've been married for seven years."

"Seven years already?" Ally exclaimed. "My, it only feels like one or two! I remember being shocked when he even got around to proposing."

Audrey would have smirked if her body would have allowed it. As it was, she only found herself nodding along as she took a drink of Jordan's conjured treat. Leave it to Ally to say something honest, whimsical, and insensitive.

Mal nodded along, looking like she was wanting to shoot herself in the foot.

"So," Ruby returned the conversation to where it had been previously heading. "Annoying habits?"

Mal shrugged. The ghost of a smile flit past her lips. "He gets all huffy if I wear my socks in our bed," she finally admitted. "Because he hates the feel of socks on sheets and therefore finds it despicable if I keep them on."

"Well, we were talking about things like leaving the toilet seat up or leaving his coat on the furniture when he comes home from work or not hanging the towels up to dry properly," Jordan interrupted. "Does he do any of those? I feel like he'd do the coat thing. That sounds like a Ben thing."

"I do that," Mal deadpanned. "I leave my jackets and shirts everywhere and he kinda just rolls his eyes and picks up after me."

"Your shirts?" Audrey repeated, sounding as scandalized as she felt.

"I think you're implying a bit much, Mal," Anxelin giggled.

"You shouldn't be talking about things like that," Audrey reprimanded, enjoying the way Mal's shoulders slumped in exhaustion.

"I wasn't trying to imply…" Mal sighed and curled her lips. "I usually take off my outer shirt when I'm painting or when I get out of meetings. I'm not, like, naked. I can still answer the door."

"Why don't you just stay presentable?" Audrey wrinkled her nose.

"Ben doesn't care – I don't see why you all think you can reprimand me," Mal snapped finally, pinching the bridge of her nose.

"Jeesh, we're just asking," Jordan snorted.

"Yes, it's not exactly how we imagined the Queen of Auradon would behave," Ally chirped. "Back when Ben was dating Audrey, their biggest problem was deciding whether or not to be spotted publicly or not."

"Can we change the subject?" Mal sighed, pinching herself even harder.

"We were talking about being surprised when Ben proposed," Ally exclaimed. "I couldn't believe he would pick someone so… far out of his circles."

"You're a good match, though," Ruby hummed, turning off her phone. "The press loves to comment on how well you balance each other out."

At this statement, Mal's face relaxed a little bit while Audrey had to refrain from hissing at Ruby. "Yes," she agreed. "He's my other half."

"Are you two planning on starting a family soon?" Ruby asked. "Everyone's been asking for the last few years."

Audrey choked on her drink, but no one else noticed. Mal's face had twisted into the most "I-am-so-done-and-over-this" expression she'd ever seen. "No," she replied flatly. "We're not."

"I can't believe it hasn't already happened," Ally said, holding her glass up to the light to examine it. "I mean, Ben being who he is, I thought he would have convinced you by now."

"Convinced me?" Mal repeated.

Now, the subject wasn't exactly something that made Audrey's heart sing. She didn't want to picture Ben with anyone else, much less married for seven years and considering a family path. But it didn't make it any less glorious to watch Mal's face turn green and puce and the awful color of old porridge all at the same time.

"Well, it's rather selfish of you, isn't it?" Ally asked, setting her drink in between her legs as she began to babble. "Everyone's always known that Ben loves small children in the courts. We all figured it would be natural for you to have a small bunch for him, and it's already been several years."

"Ben and I think we're still a bit young," Mal declared flatly. But this statement didn't faze Ally at all.

"Yes, that sounds like something he'd say," she agreed with a nod. "He's very good at making compromises. Still, you're the Queen and if you weren't as young as you both are and with all the history between you two and the kingdom, you'd probably be considered a failure for not giving him a child of his own as of yet."

Audrey's face was neutral and impassive as she exchanged looks with the other girls. Ally had never had any social tact, and as her vocabulary expanded she'd only become more brutal. Inwardly, though, she was cackling to watch Mal shove her hands into her pockets, bite her cheek, and fix her gaze on the ground. Oh, it felt so good to watch her be in pain, even if she couldn't force her mouth to back up anything Ally was saying.

And the girl kept going! Audrey laughed inwardly as new words sprang forth in the absence of conversation: "I'm just saying that you really should reconsider things with Ben before he gets all heartbroken with waiting and-"

"What on earth are you saying to her?" Someone interrupted behind them.

And just like that, Audrey's inward excitement died. The group all turned as one to see Ben standing behind them, a half-wet towel slung across his shoulders as water dripped from his forehead and he examined them all with an unreadable expression.

"Hello Ben," Ally greeted, utterly unaware of the chaos she'd caused and the anger brewing in Ben's expression. "We were talking about how Mal hasn't had any children yet."

"We," Ben corrected firmly. "This isn't the stone ages, Ally. Children aren't just a woman's responsibility."

"Yes, but in any other kingdom or with any other heroes, people would be getting a bit worried," Ally looked up, laughing a little as if she were trying to explain a simple concept to someone who wasn't understanding it. "It's understandable if you're still waiting for her to come to terms with things, but-"

"Please stop talking," Ben cut her off. Ally blinked, glanced around at everyone's faces, and then became very silently confused. Ben reached over Audrey, dripping water down her back, across Tiger Peony, who hadn't spoken at all, and grabbed Mal's hand. "Get up," he commanded, pulling her to her feet. "We're leaving. I shouldn't have believed you."

Mal's shoulders slumped in relief as she practically tumbled into his protective grasp. A beast curled in Audrey's belly. She knew exactly what it was like to be there. "Are you sure?" Mal mumbled. "Is the game over? You can-"

"We're leaving," Ben cut her off too. "None of this would have happened if we'd just left in the first place."

He wrapped an arm around her waist and she did the same, completely ignoring how wet he was. Audrey would have at least made sure he was covered with his towel. Boys from the pool called for Ben, but he waved them off as he escorted Mal away as quickly as possible.

* * *

"Just your usual?" Ben asked as he pulled out a chair for her in the parlor of the on-campus café.

"That'd be nice," Audrey forced a smile. Her eyes were burning from the intense heat. She'd woken up from her nightmares at three in the morning, called Ben to rant a little to him, and when he'd gone back to sleep she'd stayed up until the sunrise.

Ben disappeared into the line while Audrey glanced at her phone. A message appeared from Chad – did she have the time to help him with his math homework? She clenched her teeth – It was so frustrating to have to talk to him normally when he had thrown that party in her dream and then pulled Ben away from Mal.

Overall though, it had been a better dream. She'd watched Ally utterly demolish Mal. And it was true, most of what she'd said. A queen on the high throne of Auradon for seven years without a child? Insane. Maybe Mal was broken. Maybe she was unstable. Either way, she was a freak.

Ben set down a glass bowl of ice cream in front of her while he set down his sundae. He glanced over to where the condiments were on the wall. "Syrup?" he asked. "I know you like the-"

"I don't think I can stand any strawberries right now," Audrey hissed.

Ben stared at her. He was exhausted because she'd woken him up when she'd called and lately had been listening to her nightmares with less and less focus. There were only so many times he could repeat "They're not real" before he became a broken record.

Slowly, he sat down and picked up his spoon while Audrey glared at her phone, trying to script out a message to Chad. "So, how has your day been?" Ben asked, setting his phone out of the way.

"Long," Audrey groaned. "I couldn't fall back asleep so I stayed awake until my alarm went off. I almost fell asleep in history."

"You almost always fall asleep in history."

"I do not! Ugh." Audrey pressed her fingertips to her forehead and took a large bite of ice cream, even though she knew it'd give her a headache. "I just wish this would all just… stop."

"You know, you don't have to let it bother you so much," Ben sighed, shrugging as he speared a slice of banana. "It's not like I loathe all cheerleaders when I hear boys in the locker rooms talking about you guys after tourney practice."

"What are you saying?" Audrey demanded, squinting at him.

"I'm saying that this… avoiding everyone and everything on certain days is… taxing. And childish." Ben frowned as he looked up to meet her eyes. "I mean you haven't touched purple in three weeks. Three weeks. You haven't even set your elbow on that square on the table because it's purple and for some reason you now hate purple."

Audrey looked down at the table and glared at the tacky, colorful square. "I know," she grumbled, setting her napkin over it. "I just… I get so insecure and jealous-"

"That was a cute excuse before, but don't you think you should have a little more trust in me now?" Ben demanded. "It's not like this is our second month, Audrey. We've been dating for seven months. And five of those months you've been pissed off by some dream girl who doesn't even exist." He put his fork down. "When is this going to end?"

"I don't know why she keeps appearing in my dreams, Ben. Believe me, I-"

"That's irrelevant," Ben cut her off. "When are you going to stop freaking out about it like… like… a middle schooler? Goodness, Audrey, you don't have to be so dramatic."

"Dramatic?" Audrey repeated, voice rising to a deadly tone. People glanced over and Ben's frown grew deeper.

"Hush," he commanded. "Yes. Dramatic. Need I remind you that you're ignoring fourteen percent of the color wheel? The problem isn't the dreams. It's the fact you go off into the deep end every time you have them. I just… need you to have a little more self-control."

"Self-control?" Audrey repeated. "I'm not the one going off in the deep end for some short, stubborn-"

"She doesn't exist," Ben interrupted. "Can you get that through your head? You invented a girl to be mad at, and now you're getting mad at me for dating her." He shook his head and then gathered up his bowl and silverware. "Listen, I need a break. From this. From the-" he shook his hand around his head. "I'll text you later. Have a nice rest of your classes."

And he left. Without a backward look or a sign of regret or anything.

And somehow that made everything all the worse.


	4. Gold

"The speed limit is forty-five," Mal murmured as she watched the scenery pass outside. Audrey was looking between them from the backseat, though she no longer had a body and was instead fuming with her eyes burning as she watched Ben nod, ease on the brakes, and then reach over to take Mal's hand around the clutch of the car. They were coming up on a small town. The radio was off, the blowers were heating their feet, and the windows were down to let in the smell of the night and the sounds of the tires on the pavement while crickets protested their arrival.

"Is it left or right?" Ben mumbled as the speed limit dipped again and he had to release Mal's hand to go around a bend.

"It's straight ahead, but it'll be on your right," Mal told him. "You'll see it soon."

The road straightened out again and Audrey realized almost immediately what they were searching for. A drive-through fast-food chain restaurant was up ahead, with the parking lot half full of trailers, mobile homes, and one very long bus. Inside, children scrambled through the plastic tubes of the playground, laughing and screeching though the noise couldn't be heard through the glass.

Audrey hated fast food. The closest she'd do was the cafeteria food at school, but even then there were limits. Pizza was a disgrace. So were most chicken items. Don't even get her started on the hot dogs.

Ben pulled into the drive-through and watched a large family lead their seven-or-so children out of the restaurant. The youngest were carried in their arms or led by the hand while the oldest rushed ahead to the car, fighting over handles and who got there first while the white cords of earbuds dangled over their shirts. Mal opened her phone while the intercom buzzed and Ben placed an order for two small coffees, a lemonade, and a strawberry smoothie. Then, he turned back to Mal. "That right?" he asked.

Mal smiled. "Yes, thank you," she replied.

They pulled forward. It irked Audrey to no end how Ben knew all of Mal's orders here the same way he knew her orders in real life. Couldn't her dreams spare her perfectly-stable relationship?

"Listen to this," Mal chuckled. "Chaos in the Royal Palace as King Ben's Affair comes to light."

"Oh, who am I sleeping with now?" Ben rolled his eyes. "Evie?"

"No, just one of the maids," Mal replied, rolling her eyes as she flicked past the article. "It's because you're jealous of my affair with Harry and Jay. The problem is that she's underage, so now you're being investigated."

"That's a pretty deep claim," Ben snorted. "I wonder if our publicist will have anything to say about it."

"Does our publicist do anything besides tell me not to swear on live television?" Mal snorted. Audrey stared in horror. A lady swearing?

"You would be surprised," Ben rolled his eyes and then their conversation paused as he exchanged his card with the half-asleep lady at the window before passing the lemonade and smoothie to Mal and placing the coffees into the cupholders. She leaned back. On the floor in front of where Audrey's feet would have been, there was a cupholder that she used to stow away the second drinks.

Ben took her hand again as they drove away. "I'm glad we can make jokes about stupid articles," he said. "Thanks for not getting all… hissy or anything."

"There's not much point." Mal squeezed his hand tighter. "I know you."

Ben smiled. His eyes flicked off the road to climb up her body like he was trying to leave handprints with his eyes.

"The speed limit is forty-five," Mal reminded him.

* * *

_Dontthinkaboutthegirl, dontthinkaboutthegirl, dontthinkaboutthegirl._

Ben sighed into her neck, keeping his eyes closed as Audrey pet his hair lightly. She was still wearing his away game jersey. He was dressed in a t-shirt that was soft against her skin as he laid beside her and with a heat pad on his neck. He'd landed on his back today during the tourney match and now his neck was sore.

_Dontthinkaboutthegirl, dontthinkaboutthegirl, dontthinkaboutthegirl._

"Audrey?" Ben mumbled.

"Hmm?" She asked, still her hand in his hair.

"Thanks for supporting me. It means a lot."

"Of course, Ben. You know I'll always support you."

There was a long silence then. Ben shifted his weight to sink further into the couch. Audrey was about to go back to repeating her mantra when he broke the silence again. "Audrey?" He asked.

"Hmm?" She asked.

"You realize I'll be sixteen in two months?"

"Yeah," she laughed. "Exciting."

There was another brief pause before Ben opened his eyes. "They're going to have me coronated almost two months after. I'll technically still be able to make my first proclamations, but the coronation is just for the crown."

She knew all this. He knew she knew all this. He was nervous about something – that's why he was telling her.

"What's up?" She asked.

Ben sat up on his elbows and avoided her gaze. "Just…" he trailed off, opened his mouth to try again, and then closed it. "I just really like having your support on things," he said finally. "And I'd like it if you could… keep it up. Y'know?"

Audrey took his hands. "I'll be at the coronation," she smiled softly. "I'll be right there when that crown goes down, Benny-Boo. I wouldn't miss it for the world."

She missed the look that passed Ben's face as he laid back down but caught the "Thank you," that he whispered in her ear. They continued lying there, quiet and steady.

Dontthinkaboutthegirl, don'tthinkaboutthegirl, dontthinkaboutthegirl.

* * *

Mal was hiding on the edges of a party. Audrey sneered at her as hate boiled in her gut. Mal stepped back as a girl with two men on either arm crossed her path, giggling with both. God, where had public decency even gone?

Audrey spotted Ben, separate from Mal for once, nodding along to two other men who were discussing sewage systems in Dun Broch. One put a hand on his shoulder to ask him a question and Ben took a deep breath. Frustrated. He was frustrated with the conversation. She should go to rescue him.

But her feet wouldn't move.

"You see, your majesty," One man said to Ben as they began to meander towards the refreshment table, "We would need an additional grant of about forty-hundred Auradonian Dollars to make the changes."

"I'm sure we can reach some sort of agreement," Ben assured him, sounding like he'd repeated the phrase at least a half-dozen times. "Unfortunately, I'm not in office now and cannot help you-"

"Well, we could head up now if that's the issue!" The second man, who was quite a bit shorter but with a much deeper voice than Ben, exclaimed. "We wouldn't want this to get swept under the rug."

Ben spotted Mal, who was gazing across the room to where a blue-haired woman who was probably the most beautiful person Audrey had ever seen was dancing with a sandy-haired man. He paused, taking her in, and ignoring as the first man continued to speak beside him. "Absolutely!" He agreed. "We should head up right now. Your Majesty, do you have the keys to your-"

"Mal!" Ben interrupted the two, stepping away from in between them and towards her. He took her arm and pulled her closer to him before stepping around him as if he expected her to protect him from the men still badgering for his attention. "You like this song, don't you?" He asked. "Would you care to dance?"

Mal opened her mouth to respond, but the first man immediately began to talk. "Your Majesty, we were wondering if-"

"Gentlemen, I apologize, but I'm not in office right now. If you want to come by Monday morning, we can discuss everything. Now, if you'll excuse us, this is one of my favorite songs…" He pushed Mal around them, onto the floor where they took up a dancing position.

Mal smirked at him as he let out a deep breath. "Someone's tense," she teased.

"Sorry," Ben grumbled. "They just… wouldn't stop talking about sewage and…" he shook his head. "I know you like to do your hiding thing but I just couldn't take it anymore."

"That's okay," Mal assured him. "I like the dancing-with-you thing too."

"Ah," Ben snorted. "You mean you like the part where I waltz you out into the gardens and we sneak back to our room together."

"The door is there," Mal nodded behind his shoulder. Her hand tightened on his arm. "Unless you want to stay and dance? I'm okay to stay."

Ben hummed and rolled his eyes. "Just this song," he whispered in her ear. "It really is one of my favorites."

* * *

"Let's talk for a moment," Ben hummed into her ear as they laid back on a hammock in her family's garden together. Audrey hummed and watched birds flit back and forth in the trees up above.

"Yeah?" She murmured and relished in the feeling of his hand sliding through her hair. She hadn't curled it today, so it was one of the few days he was allowed to touch it.

"Prom is in a few weeks, and I know we're going," Ben began. "Let's say you had a say in a prom gift for yourself. What would you want?"

Audrey smiled and reached up to run her fingertips down his cheek. It was an action she'd seem him react fondly enough to in her dreams, but he wrinkled his nose here. "Hmm," she hummed. "Would it be… too much to ask for a ring?"

Ben withdrew from her, looked shocked. "An engagement ring?" He asked. "Yes, too much. We're coming up on eight months of dating and I still have a few weeks till I'm sixteen."

"No, not an engagement ring," Audrey blushed, shaking her head. "But… maybe a promise ring? Is that better?"

Ben still frowned. "I don't think so, Audrey," he shook his head. "I don't want to make promises while we're both so young. We don't know what will happen."

Audrey's heart sank. "You don't think we'll work?" she despaired. Her thoughts immediately turned to the purple princess. "Is it because you met someone else?"

"Gods, Audrey!" Ben snapped, letting her go and swinging his legs off the hammock. "I'm not cheating on you! And for Christ's sake, you think you're being subtle about hating everything around you and you're not!"

"Well, you just said-" Audrey sputtered.

"I said I didn't want to make promises when I have no way of knowing what'll happen!" Ben cut her off. "I like you, Audrey. I do! But we're sixteen! I'm not on the throne yet – I have no idea what'll it'll be like to balance this relationship and work. What if you meet someone else? What if we fall out of love? We're teenagers – first loves almost never work out perfectly."

Audrey pinched her lips together and nodded with a sigh. She patted the spot beside her and Ben sat back down. "I'm sorry," she whispered.

Ben shrugged. "I'll look into something I think you'll like," he whispered. "And Audrey?"

"Hmm?"

"I meant what I said. You think you're being subtle but every single time you have one of those dreams, it's pretty painfully obvious."

She doesn't say anything. Not a single word.

Three weeks later, Ben turned sixteen and prom happened that following weekend. He became the official, yet un-coronated King of Auradon. She was escorted to prom by the King of Auradon. People took photos. Press tried to tag along. Audrey was in heaven.

Ben became very annoyed. "I wish they'd leave us alone," He mumbled as a bright flash appears through the crowd of students. Audrey turned so that they could better photograph her in her dress if they wanted.

They snuck out the back when it became too much for him, but Audrey kept on trying to convince him to go back. She liked the party – like the photographers who kept asking what it was like to be the King's girlfriend.

"You'll get used to it," she tried to console him. "It'll get easier."

Ben hummed quietly and scuffed his shoes against the ground. Audrey wrinkled her nose. "They just want to know what my first proclamation will be," he mumbled. "Everyone thinks I'm too soft to do anything good."

"That's not true," Audrey shook her head. That seemed to encourage him. "You're going to do lots of important things. I know it. You're going to help a lot of people."

Ben hummed and put an arm around her shoulder. "Listen, Audrey," he sighed and then pressed his fingertips to his brow. "I've come up with a proclamation. It's all written out and dictated and everything. I just haven't shown my parents yet."

"Nervous?" Audrey teased. Ben nodded. "You know they'll support you no matter what, right? So will I."

"I want to make changes to the Isle of the Lost," Ben admitted. Audrey stumbled in her path and stared at him. The Isle of the Lost was where all the villains were. She didn't think about the place too often, to be honest.

"Oh, okay," She laughed a little. "You're not planning on letting all the villains out, right?"

Ben laughed. "No, no," he agreed. "But, uh, I was going to let their children come over."

"What?" Audrey demanded, staring at him. "Why?"

"Because…" Ben clapped his hands together and took a deep breath. "Because they deserve a shot at a normal life. And they haven't done anything wrong."

Audrey's hands shook with rage. She had to take several deep breaths to calm herself down. "I don't think that's a good idea, Ben. They're going to be just like their parents."

"I believe in them, Audrey," Ben said simply. "I need you to believe too." He curled his hands a little. "I've been having… dreams about the Isle of the Lost. I think this needs to happen. Can you support me in this?"

What? No. Of course not. But Audrey forced a plastic, brittle smile and curled her hands around his elbow again. "I trust you," she mumbled. "I know you'll keep Auradon safe."

* * *

The last dream was probably the most surreal out of all of them. Audrey was walking down a long dirt road, surrounded by fog, stumbling over occasional bumps with the purple-haired Mal at her side. Mal seemed to step over the divots in the road easily while Audrey's heeled shoes seemed to catch every rock and trip her into every shallow ditch. She wanted to spit or lash out at Mal, but the other girl seemed to not even know she was there.

They came upon a fork in the road with two wooden pointers informing them of what lay down each path. The path to the right read "Good". The path to the left read "Evil".

Both girls examined the pointers. Audrey couldn't stop herself from continuing to glance over at Mal. What would she choose? Where would she go?

Mal examined the left path very intensely. She hummed and stroked her chin as she thought, then glanced to the right and perked up. Audrey looked over and couldn't see anything out of the ordinary. Just dust-brown fog. But Mal saw something there.

"I'm going to go this way," she announced, pointing down the path of good. She took a few steps to further accentuate her direction.

Audrey fumed. "Well, that's all fine and good," she declared, glancing down the path of evil. The fog seemed thicker as she stared into it. "Well, I'm sick of walking with you. I'm going to go this way."

"I wouldn't," Mal cautioned. "It's not safe."

"I don't care," Audrey snapped. "You stay on that path. I'm sick of putting up with you."

And she turned and walked away.

* * *

Audrey kept her arm looped through Ben's as they stood, waiting for the villain kids. Her hands were shaking. She'd almost died when Ben had told her who'd be coming and felt a bit like expiring now as she stood in the warm sunlight with cold sweat dripping down her neck. She felt so sticky and gross and… ugh.

"Here they come," Ben mumbled beside her as the band burst into a clatter behind him. Audrey painted her best smile on while she tried to keep from wincing.

A black limo pulled up. The windows were tinted, so Audrey couldn't see inside.

What were the chances the driver would open the door and say they hadn't been interested, even after they had sent back confirmations?

What were the chances they'd murdered the man and were now going to attack them?

But the driver exited the vehicle, as planned, and walked around to open the door. Two boys fell out, yelling and fighting over what looked like a napkin or towel. Audrey wanted to close her eyes as Fairy Godmother stepped forward.

But there were supposed to be four. That was only two.

A set of blue legs appeared and a beautiful girl stepped out, looking around in amazement. Then paint-splattered black leggings appeared and Audrey felt a lump appear in her throat.

"Guys," Mal hissed at the two boys, brushing off her dark purple jacket and stepping forward to see who would address them. "We have an audience."

Audrey tightened her grip on Ben. He gave her a weird look.

This couldn't be real. It had to be a freaky nightmare, right?

Fairy Godmother explained things. Audrey resisted the urge to scream and demand Mal be taken back. Ben shook their hands. His hand remained in Mal's grasp for an eternity too long.

Not a nightmare. Not a nightmare.

Only living purgatory.


End file.
